Wovoka
Paiute
Topics covered in this document:
Introduction
Often referred to as a messiah by his followers, Wovoka (c.1856-1932) was
a Paiute mystic. His religious ferver acted as the primary impetus for
the spread of the Ghost Dance (see below) among many of the Native
American people.
He was born in western Nevada in what is now Esmeralda County. Little
is known of his early life there.
Wovoka = Jack Wilson
When he was just 14 years old, his father died leaving Wovoka to be
raised by a nearby white rancher, David Wilson. Wovoka soon changed his
name to Jack Wilson and worked on the Wilson ranch well into adulthood.
He learned to speak English and had a passing contact with Christian
teachings.
Ghost Dance
Tävibo Predicts White Extinction
Around 1870, a northern Paiute mystic named Tävibo (assumed by
many historians to be Wovoka's father) had prophesied that all whites
would soon be swallowed up by the earth. He then added that following
this event, all the Native Americans who had died at the hands of the
whites would rise from the dead to a world free of their conquerers.
Tävibo urged his followers to dance in slow circles, already
a tradition in the Great Basin area, while singing a series of religious
songs. Tävibo's movement spread to parts of Nevada, California, and
Oregon.
Wovoka Extends Tävibo's Teachings
Some 15 or so years later, at about age 30, Wovoka began blending
together the teachings of Christianity and of Tävibo's mysticism
into the new Ghost Dance religion.
In the late 1880s, Wovoka made similar prophecies, heralding the dawn
of a new age in which whites would vanish ... leaving Native Americans
to live in a land of material wealth, spiritual renewal, and immortal
life.
Wovoka's prophecies stressed the need for righteous behavior.
Wovoka's Semi-Christian Creed
In order to attain salvation, Wovoka claimed, a disciple was required
to undergo a regime of ritual dancing and consistent moral conduct.
Golden Rule
Wovoka charged his followers to never "hurt anybody or do harm to
anyone." He further advised, "You must not fight. Do right always. Do not
refuse to work for the whites and do not make any trouble with them."
His teachings also bore the distinctive teachings of Wovoka's early
Christian upbringing. He invoked the "Supreme Being" in his prayers and
often spoke of immortality. He advocated pacifism.
Jesus Killed by White Man
He even explicitly mentioned Jesus, whom he referred to as "the messiah
who had once come to live on earth with the white man, but was killed by
them."
Modified Ghost Dance
In spite of Wovoka's admonitions for peace, the Ghost Dance came to
mean something else entirely to the Native American people.
Lakota Adopt the Ghost Dance
The Ghost Dance ceremony spread rapidly, especially among the recently
defeated nations of the Great Plains. Local bands often adopted the core
of Wovoka's message ... but altered it to suit their own circumstances,
writing their own songs and dancing their own dances.
In 1889 the Lakota sent a delegation to speak with Wovoka. When they
returned, they brought their own version of the Ghost Dance back to their
reservations.
Lakota believers began making sacred shirts for the dance which were
said to be bullet-proof.
Wounded Knee Setback
The slaughter of Big Foot's band
at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890 was cruel proof that the whites were not
going to simply vanish.
It also meant that the prophesied millennium was not yet at hand.
Ghost Dance Lives On
After Wounded Knee, Wovoka quickly lost most of his followers. He then
lived as Jack Wilson until about 1932.
But the Ghost Dance did not die.
Expression of Indian Militancy
The Ghost Dance became associated with unrest on the Lakota
reservations.
Today the Ghost Dance is seen as an expression of Indian militancy.
What Next?
Return
Return to a higher level:
Have a pleasant day!
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